If You Leave Me Behind
by ThisAccountIsNowInactive354085
Summary: Yumi has an older sister who's been attending high school in America- what will happen when she returns to Japan and begins attending school with Yumi? Chapter 14 now up after a LONG break!
1. Prologue: Arrival

**Disclaimer: Nothing's mine but the plot!**

**A/N: This is my first Marimite fanfiction so please tell me what you think and review! Gracias and enjoy! =D**

**Prologue**

Yumi arrived home to find a red convertible parked in front of her house and sighed, moving forward tentatively since she didn't know what to expect from her visitor.

"Wha...?"

"Hello, Yumi-chan!" Kashiwagi Suguru greeted her, waving and wearing a charming smile. From behind him, Yumi's younger brother Yuuki was attempting to escape unnoticed.

"Ah, good day, Kashiwagi-san...not to be rude, but..."

"Ah, I couldn't resist seeing Yuukichi home," Suguru replied, saving Yumi from the immanent rudeness of her question. "The bus is rather awful, isn't it? Surely my dear Sa-chan does not approve either."

"Ano..." Yumi stuttered at the mention of her beautiful onee-sama's name. Even the thought of Ogasawara Sachiko could halt Yumi's breathing and the look in the heiress's eyes when she gazed down at Yumi was enough to stop her overactive heart. She didn't know when it had become more than sisterly love or if it had ever been less regarding her onee-sama, but Yumi wasn't lovesick enough to believe that she ever had a chance with the elegant, raven-haired goddess.

Then Yumi blushed, realizing that she still hadn't replied to her onee-sama's cousin...her fiance. Luckily, Suguru wasn't waiting for a reply as he teased Yuuki, whose face was almost as expressive as Yumi's. Really, it would be easy to hate a person like Kashiwagi-san, but being Yumi, it was almost impossible to hate anyone, even the man who would steal her onee-sama away.

"Y-Yumi!" Yuuki suddenly burst out, "I forgot that mom had to talk to us about...the..the thing! Let's go!" Darting out of the flamboyant heir's grasp, Yuuki yanked his sister into the house. Once he had slammed the door with a hasty goodbye to his sempai, he slid down against the wall, panting. "I don't know what I'd do if we had a similar system in our school as you do with the souer-system," he muttered, imagining Kashiwagi in all his feminine splendor as his 'onii-sama'. He shuddered.

Yumi bit her lip, half afraid for her little brother and half entertained as she had seen Kashiwagi-san at his most flamboyant.

"What's going on out here?" Yumi's mother asked from the kitchen as she leaned out into the hallway.

"Nothing!" the two siblings yelled simultaneously.

"Oh, good, because I have a surprise for the two of you," Mrs. Fukusawa said as she stepped into the hallway. She was pulling along a tall, pretty girl with long, wavy brown hair and bangs that fell across her forehead to the right.

The girl waved with a bashful smile. For a moment, neither Yumi nor Yuuki spoke and then...

"Onee-chan!" Yumi cried as she launched herself into the other girl's arms.


	2. One: I'm Not Her

**Disclaimer: Nothing's mine but the plot! Enjoy and Review, por favor!**

**A/N: This chapter is quite…angst ridden, but it is necessary lol I promise it won't be sad!**

**Chapter One**

"And this is Maria-sama. We pray to her every day before school," Yumi finished, tilting her head up to the wavy-haired girl, whose head was cocked to the right as she thought a short prayer.

"It's lovely," the older girl replied and was about to continue when a shorter, feirce looking girl was drill-like pigtails came up beside Yumi and fixed her with a glare.

"Ah, Touko-chan," Yumi said slowly, resigned to the younger girl's attitude.

Touko nodded, her gaze fixed on the new girl who just barely resembled her cousin's petite souer. (notice, Touko hasn't accepted the rosary at this point)

"Ano...," Yumi began awkwardly, "Touko, this is Himeya Yamato and Yamato-chan, this is Touko, a friend of the Yamayurikai."

"Good day," Yamato said, smiling and giving a little wave. Touko's expression hardened as she nodded again and latched onto Yumi's arm as she had been wont to do once she and Yumi had gotten closer. The younger girl was reluctant to admit it but she had become rather attatched to the somewhat aloof girl and she had her cousin's temper and possessive traits. The difference was that Sachiko preferred to control these qualities...to an extent...that didn't involve Satou Sei, the previous Rosa Gigantea.

They stood there awkwardly for a moment before Yamato took charge and began walking towards the academy before they were late. Yumi followed with Touko still attatched to her arm.

Touko glared at the new girl's back- there was a closeness between Yumi and Yamato that she couldn't exactly place, but the aura between them felt familiar. Affectionate but distanced, loving and no boundaries to separate them because something seemed to stand in the way. She tightened her grasp- she didn't like the closeness between the two.

Later, at the Rose Mansion...

"The newspaper club is asking us to participate in the winter festival," Rosa Chinesis and Yumi's onee-sama, Ogasawara Sachiko was saying as the final members of the Yamayurikai arrived.

Yoshino and Yumi had been held up by cleaning duty in their class and Touko was simply not governed by others's time schedules, so the three hurried and strolled (respectively) in late. Sachiko sighed inwardly as her cousin slumped reluctantly into the seat beside the tall Kanako-chan but was quickly distracted by the pretty girl who had entered with her petite souer. "Yumi?" she asked, her gaze settling on the other girl.

"Oh, yes, I'm sorry," Yumi stuttered, her face red and her eyes wide in her traditional embarrassed look. "This is Himeya Yamato, everyone, and this is the Yamayurikai, the student council, onee-chan," Yumi babbled, using her half-sister's nickname in her rush. While Yamato smiled down gently at Yumi, Sachiko's eyes had narrowed ever so slightly, and her aura had become icy. Only Hasakura Rei, Rosa Foetida, noticed, and tried to control the situation by smiling warmly at Yamato and gesturing towards the table. Relieved, Yumi sat down in the first seat she saw and Yamato took the seat beside her. Yoshino headed for Rei before realizing that she was surrounded by Sachiko on her left and Kanako on her right- she wisely chose to only send her angry glare towards Kanako before plopping down heatedly on the other side of Yumi. Rei sweat-dropped, her mouth stuck open in a dopey smile as she feared for Kanako's life.

"Welcome, Himeya-san," Shimako stated warmly, smiling back in her soft, kindly way. "Of course you are welcome at any time as Yumi-chan's guest." Then quickly, "Ah, the newspaper club-" She took over Sachiko's speech, as Rosa Chinesis seemed dangerously close to entering what the Yamayurikai had come to know as 'hysterical mode'. Her hands were gripping the stack of papers in front of her so tightly that her knuckles were paler than usual and she was so rigidly calm and her aura was so frozen that both Rei and Yoshino visibly cringed.

After the meeting had gratefully concluded, Yumi and Yamato left together, walking towards the bus stop.

"I don't think Ogasawara-sama liked me too much," Yamato stated thoughtfully, though it obviously didn't faze her very much. She was quite like Shimako in her temperment, though not as mysterious.

"Onee-sama's just...quiet," Yumi said, obviously having been on a completely different planet for the entire meeting or just very, _very_ oblivious. "She's really the kindest, most beautiful, caring girl in the world. I don't understand why she chose me when she could have had any other girl as her petite souer but I'm so glad she did. It takes her a while to warm up to someone but...what?"

Yamato was grinning down at her half-sister slyly. "You're so obvious, Yu-mi-chan," she said stroking Yumi's pigtails fondly. Yumi almost lost herself, remembering how Sachiko-sama had done the same only a week before. "You love her, don't you?"

Instantly Yumi jumped to her defenses, but her crimson blush gave her away. "No! That would be wrong because she's my onee-sama and I'm her petite souer and she's so perfect and I'm so...me." Yumi dropped her head. Yamato pursed her lips- the fact that Yumi had begun by naming their relationship and then skipped straight to excuses hadn't escaped her notice. Yumi's final answer was so quiet that the older girl almost missed it. "Yes."

It was impossible to lie to Yamato, even though she had been off in America for the better part of two years. Yumi bit her lip and stared down at her feet- she knew Yamato would accept her no matter what but would onee-sama? She was afraid of not being able to hide her feelings from Rosa Chinesis- was she really so obvious? So when Yamato wrapped her arms around Yumi's trembling form, the younger girl allowed herself to fall apart before the elegant Maria-sama.

Yumi sobbed into her half-sister's arms and her sobs only became harder and more painful because no matter how hard she wished and no matter how much she loved Yamato, these arms weren't onee-sama's.

And Yamato rested her chin on top of her half-sister's head and tightened her hold on Yumi as sthe sobs increased because she knew why. _I'm sorry, Yumi_, she thought sadly. _I'm sorry but I'm not her._

From a few meters away, a certain Red Rose stopped in her tracks- she had followed Yumi to formally introduce herself and perhaps do just a little more than offer a kind 'Good Day' to '_onee-chan_', but right as she had been about to call her petite-souer's name she saw Yumi fall into the pretty girl's arms. She stood frozen for a moment before qalking quickly in the opposite direction. She was Ogasawara Sachiko, and she would _not _stand there and watch as another girl embraced her petite souer. And if she had been anyone but, she would have stormed over and interrogated Himeya-sama anyway, because it was her right. But she was, so she simply walked away.

She didn't hear Yumi's muffled sobs- Yamato had seen Sachiko out of the corner of her eye and decided that the last thing her little Yumi needed was to be embarrassed in front of her onee-sama, so she had tilted Yumi's head into her shoulder to cut off the noise.

Sachiko didn't feel Yumi trembling against her as Yamato did- she was too far away, even at a mere few meters to notice her petite souer's tremors.

What Sachiko saw was another girl embracing _her _Yumi as she never had, and she told herself that she was walking away because she was above the petty emotions but in reality because she knew that Yumi would never cling to her like that. She was walking away because she was not Touko, and though they shared the same temperment and possessive tendencies, she would not- _could _not simply stalk over to the two girls and attach herself firmly to Yumi's arm to show the intruder that Yumi was _hers_ first, last, and everything in between.

She wished that she could rush over and steal her Yumi back but the truth stabbed her like a shard of glass to her heart. Yumi would never let Sachiko hold her like that- or she would, but only because she firmly believed in 'anything to make onee-sama happy'. _I'm sorry that I'm not her_, Sachiko thought bitterly.

And if she'd paused for a moment, she might have realized the significance of the thought that had occured to her only moments before because Yumi really _would _do anything to make her happy and she knew it. She just needed to see a little bit further.


	3. Two: I Can't Lose To Her

**Disclaimer: Nothing's mine but the plot! Enjoy and Review, por favor!**

**Summary: Sachiko decides to set some boundaries…**

**Chapter Two**

Yumi bit her lip and ducked her head as she saw her onee-sama standing at the statue of Maria-sama. For some reason, Sachiko-sama had been avoiding her the entire week, or so it seemed. Yumi was sure that it wasn't that- she was sure that her beloved onee-sama was just busy with something but that's what it seemed like.

"Yumi-chaaaan!"

Yumi let out a giant, 'monster' squeal as Satou Sei, the previous Rosa Gigantea, leapt onto her favorite plaything and rubbed her cheek against Yumi's. "S-Sei-sama!" Yumi cried, struggling slightly but not nearly hard enough to shake off Sei.

"Really, Sei? Did you come to Lillian only to harrass my petite souer?" Sachiko had noticed, of course, given Yumi's terrified shreak. Her eyes were fierce, but Sei didn't seem to notice or just didn't fear the wrath of Ogasawara Sachiko because she continued cuddling Yumi, teasing Sachiko mercilessly.

"O-onee-sama!" Yumi cried helplessly from Sei's arms. And that was all it took to discard the entire week's worth of avoidance or business or whatever it had been anyway because in the next second Yumi felt herself being pulled from the 'old man's' arms. The moment Sachiko had completely recaptured Yumi, the younger girl wrapped her arms around her onee-sama's waist and buried her face in the taller girl's shoulder, taking in the scent that had been gone for so long.

Luckily, Sachiko was better at controlling her emotions than her distressed petite souer and kept one arm around Yumi's waist while continuing to stare icily at Sei for a moment before turning away. Sei flashed the peace sign before heading towards the office. "I actually came to say hi to my own cute little petite souer! See ya, Sa-chan!"

Sachiko sighed, annoyed by Sei's use of her very personal nickname but it couldn't be helped, so she merely closed her eyes for a moment before looking down tenderly at Yumi, who had finally let go of her waist. The beautiful girl struggled to hide her dismay as Yumi smiled up at her from about a foot away. "Thank you, onee-sama," she said shyly.

"Sei should harrass her own petite souer," Sachiko said in reply, though her tone was much warmer. And then, involuntarily, she drew Yumi tightly to her once again, her eyes narrowing as she caught sight of the wavy caramel hair.

"Yu- oh, good day, Ogasawara-sama," Yamato corrected as her eyes took in the scene. Inside, she was positively ecstatic but on the outside she kept the pleasant smile. "Yumi-chan forgot her lunch," she explained, holding out the bento. Reluctantly, Sachiko loosened her hold on her petite souer so that Yumi could retrieve her lunch. Yamato's eyes glinted as she handed Yumi her lunch and then pulled her in for a quick hug. "You're so forgetful, Yu-chan!" She ruffled Yumi's hair affectionately just to feed the fire which was rapidly growing in Sachiko's eyes.

"Thank you, onee-chan," Yumi replied, blushing with embarrassment. She really was forgetful.

That was the last straw for Sachiko, who was now fuming. "Excuse me, but I would like to know exactly what you are to _my _Yumi-chan," she spat, unable to keep her lady-like stature at the moment.

Yamato raised her gaze to Sachiko's innocently, not failing to notice that Rosa Chinesis's hands were clenched into fists. Yumi, on the other hand, cringed when she saw how angry her onee-sama was, but at the same time wondered why. "I am Yu-chan's half-sister," Yamato replied coolly. "I've been studying in America for the past two years but I'm spending the rest of my high school years here at Lillian." She cocked her head sweetly. _What are _you_ going to do about it?__  
_  
Gathering the last amount of calm that she had, Sachiko smiled tightly at the confident girl and replied, "While I'm glad that you chose to attend Lillian and hope that you enjoy your stay, I must ask that you respect my position as Yumi's onee-sama." _Look closely at her neck and see whose rosary Yumi's wearing_, her eyes challenged Yamato, who only nodded her head, attempting to hide the victorious smirk.

"Of course, Sachiko-sama," she replied courteously. "Now if you'll excuse me, I promised my sensei that I would be to class early today. Good day!"

For a moment, there was silence as Yumi gazed up incredulously at her onee-sama- Sachiko had never been so clear, not even with Rosa Gigantea when she was still at Lillian. After a minute, Sachiko looked down calmly at Yumi, though her eyes were clouded over with something new. "Yumi?" she asked, stroking one of her petite souer's pigtails.

"Y-yes, onee-sama?"

"Do you think I'm horrid for asking such a thing?"

The question shocked Yumi- there was no change in onee-sama's expression but now she could clearly read the emotion in Sachiko's eyes: fear. It was something Yumi had never seen in her onee-sama- around Sei, it was more anger or annoyance. "O-of course not, onee-sama," she replied quickly. "Why would I?" The speech had shocked her, but if anything it only made Yumi's heart stop for an extra beat. She was used to her onee-sama's temper and protectiveness (so much so that Yumi didn't even recognize it anymore, which was a shame because she was resultingly blind to what everyone else could so plainly see), but _fear_... that was something else entirely.

"Perhaps I should not have been so direct," Sachiko mused as she took Yumi's hand, somehow either completely unfazed by the events just minutes earlier or just extremely good at hiding it. Yumi didn't respond- she had a lump in her throat that was blocking all words but three and those three would ruin everything.

Sachiko couldn't see this, however, and wondered for a moment whether she had done the right thing. But in the end it didn't matter, not really- in the end, the same truth would have shone through no matter what. _I'm sorry, Yumi, but I can't lose to her._


	4. Three: Getaway

**Disclaimer: Nothing's mine but the plot! Enjoy and Review, por favor!**

**Chapter Three**

Yumi couldn't sit still- the trip up to a cabin in the mountains that the Yamayurikai had been planning for months was just a day away. Now she couldn't go five minutes without imagining herself and onee-sama together, Sachiko's warm arm around her waist in the freezing air...

_No! _Yumi shook her head violently, warranting a concerned look from Shimako and she immediately turned bright red. She had just been trying to rid her mind of the thoughts that could compromise her secret, but as usual her emotions had shone through spectacularly. Across the table, others' emotions were running just as free as Yumi's in this case: Yoshino had fastened herself to Rei's arm the minute she sat down, her expression set. Yumi knew she was looking forward to finally getting some alone time with her cousin, which she didn't get a lot of, surprisingly enough.

Noriko had been remarkably silent since the day before, when they had been told of the date of the trip, and whenever Shimako would express concern for her petite souer's wellbeing she would give an obviously forced smile and shift her eyes back down to her hands folded in her lap before her onee-sama could notice her blush. This was hard on Shimako-san- once Yumi caught her gazing worriedly at the rosary that was strung around her petite souer's wrist.

The only change in Touko was that she was clinging to Yumi more than ever, her expression set in a defiant scowl if anyone else tried to touch her and Yamato was only leaning back, her hands folded behind her head as she watched the door.

Surprisingly, Rosa Chinesis had yet to arrive, and Yumi was glancing worriedly at the door every few seconds until it flew open and Sachiko slid gracefully into the chair beside her petite souer. "I apologize for my lateness," she said in her musical voice- Yumi didn't hear because she hadn't completely adjusted to Sachiko's presence beside her.

"It's alright, Sachiko," Rei replied before taking the floor. "So you all remember our plan for the Yamayurikai Getaway trip, right?"

They all nodded- Yoshino so violently that her braids bounced up and down with the one nod. _This is my chance with Rei-chan!___

"Yes, well, we will all need to arrive here at Lillian around 5:00 tomorrow morning," Rei continued, ignoring Sachiko's pained grimace.

"How will we be getting there?" Yumi asked, curious.

Rei only smiled mysteriously. "You'll see..."

pgbr

Yumi's eyes were wide with a mixture of fear and happiness as she arrived at the school and spotted a yellow BMW parked haphazardly in front of the school. "S-Sei-sama..."

"Hola, Yumi-chan!" Sei was grinning brilliantly as she threw her arms around Yumi. "This was what I was here for the other day! Did you miss me?"

Yumi, whose gaze was set on the brilliantly _yellow _car, didn't reply immediately, her eyes wide. "Ah...hello, Sei-sama..."

"Yumi?"

The musical voice of her onee-sama came from behind her and Yumi quickly scurried over to Sachiko's side- Sei hadn't attacked her yet and she liked it that way. "Yes, onee-sama?"

"Touko-chan and I will be riding in my...chauffered car," she said slowly, gesturing to the long black car that was parked at a safe distance from Sei's death trap. "Would you like to ride with us?"

It was easy enough for Sachiko to call Yumi away from Yamato by claiming carsickness, though Yumi's half-sister suspected that Touko-chan's lap would do just as well. Rei and Yoshino ended up riding with Youko, leaving the others to their imminent doom.

Shimako led a trembling Noriko over to Sei's car, rubbing her back gently to reassure her, but Noriko pulled away after a moment- she could only handle so much closeness. On the driver's side, Yamato was already rearing to go, laughing with Sei and arguing about whether or not it was possible to jump the poor car from 0 to 60 in under five seconds.

Shimako frowned when Noriko shied away from her touch, but said nothing. It had been like this for a few weeks now, and she couldn't think of any possible explanations for Noriko's strange, repellant behavior but didn't want to risk losing her petite souer in case her true feelings accidentally shone through.

pgbr

In the end, they all made it to the cabin in one piece, though Shimako and Noriko both looked as though they might break at any given moment.

Yumi was just climbing out of the long, regal black car with Sachiko close behind. As soon as they got into the cold air, Yumi shivered involuntarily and her onee-sama looked down at her curiously. "Are you cold, Yumi?" she asked quietly.

"No!" Yumi said, too quickly because Sachiko frowned slightly. "I mean, I'm fine, onee-sama!" she said cheerfully, smiling up at the beautiful girl and trying not to shiver.

Yamato glanced over, hearing Yumi from Sei's car. "Do you need my jacket, Yu-chan?" she asked seriously, completely forgetting her pact to tease her sister's onee-sama until she went hysterical.

Completely ignoring Yumi's protests, Sachiko slipped her jacket off and drapped it around Yumi's trembling shoulders, glaring icily at Yamato. "Onee-sama," Yumi said resignedly. "You'll get sick."

"I'll be find, Yumi," Sachiko replied in a clipped voice. "All I need to keep me warm is you." And she wrapped her arm around Yumi's shoulder, pulling her into the cabin along with the other members of the Yamayurikai, but not before shooting Yamato a poisonous look that clearly stated: _You might be her half-sister, but _I'm _her onee-sama, and I'm _not _going to give her up to you._


	5. Four: Thorns of the White Rose

**Disclaimer: Nothing's mine but the plot! Enjoy and Review, por favor!**

**A/N: This chapter actually focuses more on Shimako/Noriko, but you might need to read it for the story to keep flowing- sorry Sachiko/Yumi fans!**

**Chapter Four**

The cabin was a cozy, traditional log style with a fireplace in the comfortable sitting room along with a couple of large armchairs. Sachiko, exhausted from the top despite having rested her head in Yumi's lap for the majority of the car ride, instantly claimed the softest-looking armchair. Yumi made to walk towards the second armchair, but her onee-sama stopped her, grabbing her wrist gently.

"Stay," she murmured and Yumi complied, instantly sitting down beside her onee-sama. It hadn't been a question, but Yumi didn't mind the quiet demand. Sachiko had a habit of doing this, and Yumi didn't want it to change.

Shimako and Noriko were seated together on the sofa with Noriko still shaking slightly and tensing up every time her onee-sama tried to touch her. A frown creased Shimako's forehead.

"So, rooming arrangements," Yamato stated as she and Sei trudged in, Yamato with her large duffel bag of Maria-sama knows what and Sei dutifully lugging Youko's things as well as her own. "We've got five rooms and ten people, right?"

"I'm with onee-sama!" Yoshino declared loudly, glaring around the room just in case anyone dared to steal her Rei-chan. As Eriko, the previous Rosa Foetida was off in America, most likely with an older man, she didn't really have much to worry about.

Sachiko subtly rested her hand on Yumi's lower back, looking at Yamato with a slight challenge.

"Ara," Yamato stated, scanning the room in false dejection. "Noriko-chan, perhaps you will share a room with me as my baby sister appears to prefer Ogasawara-sama?" Sachiko shot her an icy glare from across the room, which was surprisingly similar to the frosty look she was currently recieving from the usually mild-mannered Shimako.

"Noriko will be sharing a room with me, Himeya-san," she said politely, though her tone was unsmiling. She scooted a little closer to her petite souer on the posh sofa, placing one hand on Noriko's knee and holding Yamato's gaze.

Yamato raised her eyebrows as her suspicions were confirmed and shifted her gaze to her only remaining victim, who cringed visibly. "Ah, Touko-chan...," she sang. The girl in question grimaced as she glanced over at Youko and Sei, realizing that she had no option but to share a room with the Sei-like half-sister of her first choice.

"Onee-sama?"

Noriko was somewhat afraid of Shimako's sudden, uncharacteristic coolness, but when the older White Rose smiled down at her, she felt herself relax. Satisfied, she looked back down at her hands, subsequently missing the pained look that Shimako sent her as a result.

"Noriko-chan?"

Trying to hide her surprise, Noriko turned to Shimako questioningly. Apparently she hadn't done such an amazing job of it, given the look on Shimako's beautiful face. "Yes, onee-sama?"

"Is there something you wish to talk about?" Shimako asked, taking Noriko's hands in her own as they sat down on the bed. _The _bed, Noriko noted, not _one _of the beds because there was _only one_. "Is something bothering you?"

"Nothing's wrong, onee-sama!" Noriko said quickly, causing Shimako to frown, her pink lips forming a slight pout.

"If you're sure," Rosa Gigantea said slowly, gazing into her petite souer's deep chocolate eyes. She was used to looking after those closest to her- first Sei and now Noriko- but every time she showed any sign of concern for Noriko recently, it seemed that she was pushing her away.

"I'm sure," Noriko replied in what she hoped was a normal voice as she smiled up at the beautiful girl who had stolen her heart. The beautiful girl who could _never _know what she did to her petite souer.

After a moment of silence, Shimako spoke again, more slowly this time. "Would you have preffered to stay with Yamato-san?" she asked in her calm voice, giving away everything and nothing in the way only Toudo Shimako could. "I'm sorry- I didn't really think before answering."

"Of course not, onee-sama!" Noriko cried, shocked at Shimako's sudden question. "Why would you think that?"

"I was only curious, Noriko-chan," Shimako replied, smiling warmly at her petite souer. In the corner of her eye, the rosary glinted like glass in the sun, and Shimako was painfully aware that there was something Noriko was hiding from her. "Do you mind if I take the first bath?"

Noriko shook her head and Shimako took her things and left the room quietly.

Once she was alone, Noriko allowed herself to fall back on the large bed, clutching the juzu beads to her chest and taking a deep breath as her heart raced. She wasn't sure now much longer she could keep her feelings bottled up inside, but if Shimako knew the way her petite souer loved her...losing onee-sama was no longer an option.

She didn't know how the rosary haunted Shimako in her worst nightmares- didn't know that her onee-sama feared that it could be returned at any moment, her feelings thrown back in her face. She didn't know how much her secret was hurting her beloved and she hadn't noticed Shimako's possessiveness earlier that evening. If she had, maybe the tear wouldn't have slid down her cheek, matching the one that ran down her onee-sama's as she left the room, her face buried in the fluffy white bathrobe.

Shimako had seen heartbreak before, in her onee-sama's eyes, and was terrified that if Noriko knew of her feelings, she would be next.

The thorns that pierced the White Rose family ran deep as ever, inducing the fear of a deja vu and tearing a rift between the soft-spoken Rosa Gigantea and her rambunctious petite souer.


	6. Five: She'll Break Your Heart

**Disclaimer: Nothing's mine but the plot! Enjoy and Review, por favor!**

**A/N: Sorry it took so long to get the next chapter up! Sometimes I get stuck with writer's block and when I do it takes forever to get my juju back again! xP**

**Chapter Five**

"So, Yumi-chaan," Yamato began the next morning once her little sister had emerged from her room along with a half-dead Ogasawara Sachiko. "I don't suppose you remember Hideo-kun?" She smirked as Yumi instantly blushed crimson and raised her eyebrows at Touko- they had formed an alliance the night before, both having agreed that the two Chinesis were too oblivious for their own good.

"A-actually I do, onee-chan," Yumi murmured quietly, just loud enough for Yamato to hear and just low enough to cause Sachiko to frown slightly. "Why do you ask?" She was staring down at her hands.

Yamato grinned. "He remembers you too, Yumi-chan," she said happily. "We attended the same school in America- part of the same exchange program, actually, and he asked about you quite a bit."

"Part of the...is he back, then, too?" Yumi asked, her mocha eyes widening.

Yamato nodded slowly, her eyes on Yumi with a smile that was aimed at Sachiko. Yamato didn't seem to have any fear for her own life- either that, or she simply hadn't become acquainted with Sachiko's 'danger zone' by this point. Either way, there was obviously something off in her head.

"Hideo-kun?" Rosa Chinesis finally found her voice, though when she did it was strained and cool.

"Ano...yes, onee-sama," Yumi stated, not meeting Sachiko's poisonous gaze. "Hideo-kun attended elementary and middle school with onee-chan and I. He was my best friend until he entered the exchange program along with onee-chan and..." She broke off, blushing more heavily than before.

Smirking, Yamato picked up where Yumi had left off. "And Yumi-chan had a little crush on him," she finished. "He was her first love- it's terribly romantic, really."

Sei, having picked up on Yamato's game by this point, flashed her a wide grin and two thumbs up.

Sachiko, on the other hand, had gone from icy to melting within the space of those words. _Yumi-chan was in love? _

The rest of the Yamayurikai was in shock too, though the major thought going through _their _heads was: _With someone _else_? _Because Yumi was so obviously in love with her onee-sama that she and Sachiko were the only ones who hadn't noticed yet.

"Yamato's good," Noriko murmured under her breath as she watched Sachiko's face- it was obvious to every other member of the Yamayurikai that Yumi would do anything for her onee-sama. Yamato had brought up Yumi's first crush only for the sake of pushing Sachiko just a little bit further- it didn't really matter at all, but the temperamental heiress hadn't disappointed.

Beside Noriko, Shimako's gaze wandered over to the older girl, evaluating her with those kind eyes, having completely misinterpreted her petite soeur's statement. She wasn't used to feeling threatened, and she'd never really _had _to before now. So she did the only thing she could think of and weaved her fingers through Noriko's, her gaze fluttering to Yamato. It was mild, and someone else might have mistaken it for a coincidental stare, but Yamato saw right through all the tensing and coolness.

Noriko stiffened, but Shimako stubbornly tightened her grip on her petite soeur's hand- she was tired of Noriko's evasiveness and after what had happened last night, she was determined to uncover the truth, no matter how much it hurt her.

Across the room, Sachiko hadn't said a word since her question to Yumi as her mind was racing to the beat of her heart. Yumi- _her _Yumi, in love with someone else. The mere thought was enough to make her want to curl up into a ball and cry. A passerby might have mistaken Sachiko's silence for disinterest, but Youko saw the pain in her ex petite soeur's eyes and knew that Sachiko wasn't going to challenge _Yumi's _feelings as she had challenged those with feelings _for _Yumi. She would never interfere with Yumi's heart, no matter how much it hurt her.

"Onee-chaaan," Yumi whined in a very unladylike voice. "That was years ago- I barely even remember him now!" 

"But he's back," Yamato pointed out. "Who knows? Maybe you'll fall in love all over again."

"I won't."

Yumi's definitive statement shocked everyone except Yamato- even Touko didn't think that Yumi could ever feel so strongly about any one thing.

"Perhaps my little sister has found someone else, then." Yamato's reply was quiet, no more than a whisper, but the entire room had heard. "Eh, Yumi-chan?"

Unable to think of a good retort (mainly because Yamato's accusation was, in fact, true), Yumi merely blushed even deeper, not meeting anyone's eyes. There had been various reactions to Yamato's soft-spoken words:

Noriko was biting her lip, her gaze flitting over to Shimako periodically, never staying still for more than a moment at a time. If Yumi's secret came out now, it was the perfect opportunity to gauge what her onee-sama's reaction would be like if Noriko ever confessed the truth. Beside her, Shimako was also weary, but only because of Noriko's rather extreme reaction to her friend's situation.

Yoshino was leaning forward, her gaze was volleying from Sachiko to Yamato as if she were watching a tennis match. Rei simply leaned back against the chair, waiting patiently.

Youko and Sei both watched with mild amusement, and if one looked closely, one could see that Sei had her hand clasped around Youko's upper arm to prevent the previous Rosa Chinesis from following her interfering instincts.

Touko was glaring at Yamato, thinking that she had gone one step too far, but didn't say anything for once.

When Sachiko finally spoke, it was in an icy voice that sent shivers down the spines of the Yamayurikai. "You are obviously making Yumi uncomfortable," she said quietly. "I would appreciate it if you would stop interfering in my petite soeur's private life." Her words were mild, but her sapphire eyes were flashing angrily.

Yamato rolled her eyes. "You really wear on a person's nerves, Sachiko-san," she said in a bored voice, and the entire room seemed to halt its' breathing. "Why scold me for asking a question that you want the answer to more than any of us? Isn't that a bit..._hypocritical_ of you, Rosa Chinesis?"

Sachiko's eyes widened in shock- how _dare _this...this...how _dare_ she tell her how she felt? How _dare_ she see...right...through...her. "_You..._," she began quietly. Suddenly, she felt a tugging at her sleeve and looked down to find _her_ Yumi gazing up at her worriedly and she melted instantly. "You...you might want to practice a little respect, Himeya-san," she finally continued before turning and walking out of the sitting room, leaving the shocked Yamayurikai, who had never seen Sachiko give up on a battle, behind.

Yamato grinned- the heiress was falling head-first for her baby sister and it was becoming more obvious by the second. However, somewhere deep inside, something sank.

_She's going to break her heart_, Yamato realized with a start. She knew of Sachiko's engagement to Kashiwagi Suguru and her loyalty to her family. Sachiko had grown up with the knowledge that her family came before love- she could be in love with Yumi and her heart could break every night but she would never run after her and she was going to _break Yumi's heart_.

Slowly, she turned away from the stunned audience and trailed up the stairs after Sachiko.

_What am I _doing_?_


	7. Six: If Your Nightmare Found You

**Disclaimer: Nothing's mine but the plot! Enjoy and Review, por favor!**

**A/N: Chapter six is up! Now I've added Sei/Youko, if only BARELY, but there will be more where that came from! Read and review and enjoy as always! **

**Chapter Six**

Later that day, everything was back to normal, save for Yamato's eerie silence and Sachiko's heightened possessiveness over Yumi.

The Yamayurikai were spread out all around the sitting room, deciding on where they would go that day.

"Noriko and I wanted to go visit a certain Buddhist Temple while we were here," Shimako said to the room at large.

"And we didn't want to drag the rest of you along with us," Noriko finished in her usual blunt way. "So we thought it might be better if everyone just...split up for the day so that we could all do what we really want to."

"That sounds good, Noriko-chan," Sei replied cheerfully from the hallway just before jumping into the room and attacking Yumi. "I want to spend the day with Yumi-chaaan!" she cried, rubbing her cheek against Yumi's to Sachiko's annoyance.

"Absolutely not," Sachiko declared with finality, pulling Yumi out of Sei's arms and into her own. "Besides, Yumi and I have already made plans." Yumi nodded enthusiastically from her onee-sama's arms to disguise the blush.

"Aww," Sei whined with false dejection. "I guess I'm stuck with Youko, then." Said person raised her eyebrows at the blonde.

"No one's forcing you to do anything, Sei," Youko replied cheekily, her arms folded across her chest. Sei strolled over to her and thrust an arm around her shoulders, pulling her close with a grin.

"Come on, I was just kidding," she said, pulling Youko towards the door.

"Fine, but I'm driving," Youko stated as she was dragged outside.

From inside the sitting room, the muttered word 'killjoy' could be heard and Shimako smiled slightly at her onee-sama. Noticing the smile, Noriko wrapped both her arms around Shimako's right and pulled her up off the couch a bit harder than necessary, from Rosa Gigantea's soft cry. "Let's go, onee-sama!" she cried, pulling Shimako towards the door. The beautiful girl turned back and waved apologetically before following her petite soeur and beloved out the door.

**PGBR**

"It's beautiful," Noriko murmured as she gazed up at the magnificent temple and the large, marble Buddha that was gazing out at the sea.

Shimako blinked a few times as she was pulled from her daze- she hadn't really been admiring the temple at all. "Beautiful," she agreed softly, though her gaze never left Noriko's eyes.

The latter blushed heavily and turned back to the temple. "Shall we go inside?"

"Um...actually, Noriko-chan, I was wondering if I could have a word with you," Shimako replied hesitantly, and Noriko turned back to her, confused.

"Of course, onee-sama," she said slowly, following Shimako over to a group of trees over to the left of the temple.

Shimako's heart was racing and she took a deep breath as they walked away from the crowd: it was now or never.

**PGBR**

Yumi shivered and looked worriedly to Yamato, who was currently on the receiving end of an icy glare from Sachiko. She was sure that if onee-sama got any angrier, Yamato would explode into flames from her wrath.

Yamato was, as usual, unfazed by Sachiko's possessiveness- she had tagged along simply because of the revelation that she had come to only an hour before. She would give everything to see Yumi happy- everything but Yumi's happiness, and that was just what Sachiko would steal from her if she allowed them to discover each others' feelings.

She sighed at Yumi's blush when Sachiko wrapped an arm around her waist, thinking her petite soeur was cold. It wasn't going to be easy to convince them to allow the other to move on, especially after playing matchmaker for so long. She was on her own to keep them apart until they returned to Lillian, and after that, she would have to break out her secret weapon. With any hope, Yumi's feelings for Hideo-kun _would _return after all, and from Sachiko's reaction earlier, if the heiress thought Yumi was happy with another, she wouldn't interfere.

So until then, she would endure the wrath of Ogasawara Sachiko for her baby sister's sake.

**PGBR**

"We could do this back home," Sei muttered as Youko dragged her around the shopping center, handing her more and more bags as they went along. But despite all her complaining, she never made Youko keep the bags herself or forced her to take them somewhere else. It had always been Youko- she didn't know it, but she was the only one who could make Satou Sei do something she didn't want to.

"Oh, stop it," Youko chided mildly. "If you'd just have _fun_, maybe try something on..."

Sei groaned dramatically beneath all the shopping bags. "Nooo," she moaned, her voice muffled.

"Well then, stop complaining," the raven-haired ex Chinesis said simply before pulling Sei into yet another clothing store. "Have you noticed anything different about Sachiko?" she asked quietly. "I'm worried about her."

"What do you mean? She's just as possessive of Yumi-chan as ever," Sei replied, grinning. "Maybe a little greener than usual, but that's Yumi's own fault. _Onee-chan- _how dense can she get?" Her words were harsh, but she said them in a fond tone, knowing Yumi the way she did.

"I mean a little while ago, when Yamato-san mentioned that boy...Hideo-kun, was it? And her nerve..." Youko specified as she examined a pair of jeans. "I've never seen Sachiko give up like that."

"Sachiko would do anything for Yumi-chan," Sei replied, shrugging. "And Yumi-chan doesn't like it when she gets angry."

Youko shot Sei a disparaging look as she disappeared behind the curtain of a dressing room. "Of course Sachiko would do anything for Yumi- she's my petite soeur, for God's sake, I _know_!"

Sei was only mildly surprised. Youko had always been a motherly type, especially when it came to her petite soeur, though she'd never admit it and rarely showed it. "Then what's the problem?" she asked, a bit exasperated- it she was honest, her mind was anywhere _but _on her favorite playthings at the moment.

Youko sighed as she stepped out wearing a pair of form-fitting white jeans. "I'm sorry," she murmured. "It's just...she _is _my petite soeur and I can see it in her eyes- she'd falling fast, and she's still tied down by that awful family of hers. Even if she and Yumi-chan ever discover their feelings are mutual, they'll only get their hearts broken, and I think Yamato-san just realized that a while ago."

"I like her," Sei said, grinning widely as Youko rolled her eyes. "Look, don't worry about it too much- let them work it out by themselves. Maybe they'll get their hearts broken if they let themselves love each other but if they don't even try then they'll get their hearts broken no matter what, right? Give them a chance."

Youko frowned slightly but nodded. "I guess you're right. But, then again, the great Satou Sei is _always _right, I suppose," she replied with the hint of a smile teasing at her lips.

"You better believe it," Sei replied, though her tone was more distant this time. "You know, those look really good on you," the blonde tomboy said abruptly. "You should get them."

Blushing, Youko rolled her eyes. "Nice try, but you won't distract me that easily, Sei."

"I wouldn't dream of it."

**PGBR**

When they left the store with a new bag, Youko mused out loud, "You know, if they ever do find out about the others' feelings, Sachiko will never let you within ten feet of Yumi-chan again. Even if they can never be together, she'll see it as her right to keep you away from her Yumi."

"And she doesn't already?" Sei replied, amused.

"The difference is, Sei," Youko continued, "that this time, she actually _will _have the right, and you know how she gets."

"Ah, I think I'll survive," Sei said after a moment, still grinning cheekily. "Although I will miss the softness, and Shimako just isn't as fun to jump.

"And I'm sure you'll find another victim soon enough, Sei," Youko replied airily, not meeting her best friend's eyes.

"...yeah...," Sei murmured gazing down the Red Rose with a strange look in her eyes. Youko glanced up and frowned, looking away quickly, but not before a blush as red as her rose formed on her face. "I'm sure."

**PGBR**

"Is something wrong, onee-sama?" Noriko asked once they were under the ginkgo tree.

"Not wrong, Noriko-chan," Shimako said slowly. "Nothing's wrong, but...I just...we need to talk."

Noriko's eyes widened in fear and they instantly flitted down to the rosary around her wrist- Shimako had noticed. "I'm sorry onee-sama!" she cried, her eyes brimming with tears. Shimako frowned slightly, shocked by her petite soeur's intense reaction and slightly hurt- had Noriko guessed and rejected her feelings? But before she could reply, Noriko continued, "I- I didn't mean to, onee-sama, I swear I didn't mean to, it just _happened_! Please don't hate me, onee-sama..."

Unable to comprehend the situation, the most Shimako could do was catch Noriko in her arms as the younger girl fell into her front. "Noriko-chan...," she said softly. "What are you talking about?"

And then Noriko was leaping back, wiping the tears from her eyes but Shimako was tired of being lied to and pulled her back. "_Noriko_," she said sternly, grabbing her by the shoulders and causing her petite soeur to look up at her in shock. "What were you talking about? What are you sorry for?" Because deep down, her heart was pounding and she prayed Noriko couldn't hear it.

"I...I...," Noriko began, recognizing defeat. "I love...no, I'm _in _love with you, onee-sama," she said quietly, gazing down at her feet. "I thought you brought me over here to take back the rosary because you knew and I...I didn't really think I just...reacted. But I guess...," she began to uncoil the rosary from around her wrist, "I guess you'll be wanting it now anyway, right?"

Shimako was so stunned that she didn't say a word as Noriko began to take off the rosary, tears slipping down her cheeks. It was only when the cross was dangling in front of her as it was shoved in her face by her beloved petite soeur that she began to register that she was _allowing_ her nightmare to come true. "Noriko...please...don't," she managed to stutter. But it was too late- the rosary fell to the ground at her feet as Noriko gave up waiting for her to take it back as she ran from the temple.

Shimako was still frozen to the spot, her gray eyes fixated on the rosary on the ground when Youko and Sei found her half an hour later on their way back to Youko's car.


	8. Seven: Before the Storm

**Disclaimer: Nothing's mine but the plot! Enjoy and Review, por favor!**

**A/N: Chapter six is up! Now I've added Sei/Youko, if only BARELY, but there will be more where that came from! Read and review and enjoy as always! **

**Chapter Seven**

Shimako sat in silence, holding a hot cup of tea in her hands after Youko drove the three of them back to the cabin.

**PGBR**

**Flashback**

"_What happened?" _

_Shimako looked up slowly, her eyes widening as she saw Youko and onee-sama hurrying over to her, Sei with an expression of concern that was saved for the worst occasions. She must look worse than she thought. "Good day, onee-sama," she said quietly in a monotone._

"_Shimako, what _happened_?" Sei was shaking her now before Youko pulled her off of the young Rosa Gigantea. _

"_Calm down, Sei," Youko dictated. "Shimako..." Shimako looked to the previous Rosa Chinesis, "I'd be lying if I said you didn't look horrible- what happened?"_

_Slowly, Shimako returned her gaze to the rosary that was still on the ground. Youko covered her mouth with her hand and Sei's eyes widened with shock. "What brought this on, Shimako?" she asked harshly. "What happened between you two?"_

"_Onee-sama...," Shimako murmured softly, gazing up at Sei with a look that she had only seen Shimako wear once before, when she was depressed by Sei's graduation. "Do you remember the girl? Kubo Shiori-sama, was it?"_

_And suddenly Sei knew exactly what had happened. "I thought Noriko was different," she muttered. "I thought..."_

"_No, no," Shimako corrected, "It didn't happen like that...you see, Noriko confessed...to me...and I couldn't think...I couldn't reply...and the nightmare..."_

"_The nightmare...?"_

"_I've been having a nightmare almost every night for a while...it's the same thing, over and over again...except I told _her_ in the nightmare, and she would shove it at me with a look of disgust..."_

_Suddenly, she felt herself being grabbed by the shoulders and shaken, hard. "What did you say, Shimako?" Sei demanded- now she knew of her petite soeur's feelings for Noriko, but something wasn't right._

"_Say...," Shimako repeated softly before gazing up at her onee-sama with wide eyes. "It was so fast- she told me, and then it was dangling before my face and the nightmare came back and...she was gone before I realized that it was different..."_

"_God_damnit_, Shimako!" Her onee-sama's outburst startled her, and she flinched against Sei's powerful grasp. "That's the one thing I ever wanted for you! The only thing I ever wanted for you was that you didn't go through the same thing I did and now here you are, doing it to _yourself_!" And then she let go, massaging her temples as Youko laid a hand on her shoulder. Shimako tilted her head- maybe..._

"_Where is she, Shimako-chan?" Youko's words startled Shimako- up until then, it had been as though she was dreaming, with only her and onee-sama. "Where is Noriko?"_

"_I...I don't know._

**PGBR**

Shimako swallowed heavily, wincing against the pain in her throat- she must be coming down with something. Shortly after leaving the temple with Youko and Sei, she had regained her senses and come back to the world, and the full impact of what had happened hit her. _Hard_.

And then the door burst open and Yumi entered along with Yamato and a sulky Sachiko and behind them... "Noriko..."

The black haired girl's eyes widened as she saw her onee-sama sitting on the couch and her eyes darted to the stairs. "Ano...thank you for taking care of me, Sachiko-sama," she stuttered before running up the stairs at a very unladylike pace. Shimako stood just as Sei walked into the room and, with a nod from her onee-sama, followed Noriko up the stairs.

"How was your day, Yumi-chaaan?" Sei asked as she jumped Yumi in the entryway and quickly stepped back because the look in Sachiko's eyes was something even Satou Sei didn't want to cross.

"It was great," Yumi said excitedly and Sei raised her eyebrows at Sachiko- obviously she had hidden her displeasure better than she gave her credit for. "What about you?"

"Ah, your onee-sama dragged me along shopping with her, Sa-chan," Sei replied, though it was aimed at the silently fuming heiress.

"Ara," Yamato stated, breaking the palpable tension and then instantly replacing it by flinging an arm around Yumi's shoulders. "Poor you."

"Himeya-san, I would appreciate it if you would let go of my petite soeur," Sachiko growled with barely concealed malice as she pulled Yumi away, one hand on her waist and the other holding Yumi's head securely against her shoulder.

The panicked expression in Yamato's eyes caused Sei to think back to Youko's words- it would be a difficult task to destroy the closeness that she had forced only hours ago.

A million thoughts were racing through Yamato's head- she had to save Yumi. There was only one more night and one day left of the getaway and if she could keep them from confessing for that long, she would be able to do just that.

**PGBR**

"Noriko-chan!"

"Please just go away," came Noriko's strained voice from the other side of the bathroom door. "I'll sleep with Yamato-san and Touko-chan tonight, just please leave me alone."

"Please, Noriko-chan," Shimako continued, her forehead against the door. "Just listen to what I have to say."

Slowly, the bathroom door opened to reveal a tear-stained Noriko leaning against the doorframe. "Then say it," she said quietly to keep herself from choking on the tears.

"Noriko-chan," she began, taking a step forward and taking Noriko's hands in hers, "I'm sorry."

Noriko opened her mouth to say something else but Shimako pressed a soft finger to her lips. "Please, let me finish." Noriko nodded slightly.

"I'm sorry I didn't say anything," Shimako continued. "I was in shock. I never expected that you would feel the same way, especially given the past week. The thing I needed to talk to you about...I was going to tell you how _I _felt, Noriko-chan. The last thing I expected was for you to take the words right out of my mouth and this," she continued when Noriko opened her mouth to speak, indicating to the rosary, "this is why I couldn't say anything. These dreams...these nightmares that I've been having...in every single one you've been there, returning my rosary. I hadn't even registered your words before it was right there, dangling in front of my face...I couldn't think and when I could it was too late. Please forgive me, Noriko-chan."

Shimako took a deep breath from the long speech and her eyes fluttered closed for a moment before she gazed back down at Noriko, who was speechless by this point. Slowly, Shimako knelt down, the rosary clenched in her hand, and rested her forehead against Noriko's, placing the metal cross in her palm. "Please accept my rosary once again," she murmured.

Noriko blinked up at Shimako, who was gazing at her intently with a look that told her that she was resting everything on Noriko. "O-okay," she said lamely, and twirled it back around her wrist as Shimako smiled brilliantly. "But...I can't just go back to being your...nothing," Noriko stated for lack of a better term.

"You were never nothing," Shimako replied, frowning. And then, with a small smile, "But if you meant just being soeurs...I don't think I can do that either." And she tilted Noriko's chin up with her ring finger and placed a soft kiss on her lips before pulling her into a tight embrace. "Just promise me you'll never run from me again." A single tear slid down her cheek as she remembered the pain of watching the one she loved disappear into the crowd.

"I don't think I could even if I wanted to," Noriko replied, and Shimako pulled back to see her frowning slightly, as if she were actually _contemplating_ it.

"_Noriko._"

Noriko grinned at Shimako's pouting face before nestling into her arms again. "I promise."

**PGBR**

"Ara," Yamato stated with a grin like a lion's as Shimako entered the sitting room once again, pulling Noriko behind her. "And how was _your _day, Noriko-chan?" she asked, sidling up beside the dark haired girl and draping an arm over her shoulders. Touko rolled her eyes from across the room- she had stayed home, but knew enough to realize that Yamato was just trying to distract herself from some stupid mistake she had made with Sachiko and Yumi.

"Ano...it was good, Yamato-san," Noriko replied hesitantly from beneath Yamato's arm. Shimako subtly pulled Noriko back towards her, but Yamato held strong- with the current stress, it helped to focus on bringing out the 'Sachiko' side of Shimako. "But could you please let me go?"

"Yes, that would be nice," Shimako agreed coldly (it seemed that she wasn't quite as experienced at hiding her _outer_ emotions as Sachiko was), and Yamato didn't miss Noriko's flinch beneath her arm. Now she was _sure _that something had happened. Pushing it to the very edge, Yamato didn't comply and instead plopped down on the couch with Noriko falling into her lap.

"Ah, but this is so comfortable," Yamato argued just as Youko and Sei walked into the room. Sei grinned as her eyes flicked from Yamato, her arms around Noriko's waist, to her own beautiful, composed petite soeur, who looked as if she would like very much to wipe the grin right off of Yamato's face.

From one of the armchairs, Yumi cringed- she had never seen Shimako like this, and quite honestly it terrified her. Sachiko subtly wrapped her arms around her petite soeur from behind, more relaxed now that Yamato appeared to have moved on to other relationships to destroy.

Finally, Sei took pity on her fuming petite soeur and pulled Yamato off to the kitchen to inform her that she knew of the gigantic mistake that she had made and how did she plan to fix it? Huffing, Shimako took Yamato's place on the sofa beside her petite soeur, obviously not threatened enough to reveal their secret to the Yamayurikai.

In the kitchen, Yamato and Sei were conversing in hushed tones, and every now and then their eyes would flit to the two red roses, the younger in the protective arms of the older, wondering just how much it would take to tear the two apart without pushing Sachiko so far that she would confess her love anyway.


	9. Eight: Change of Heart

**Disclaimer: Nothing's mine but the plot!**

**Chapter Eight**

"Yumi?"

Yumi gazed up at her onee-sama, taking a break from packing. "Yes, onee-sama?"

Sachiko waited for a moment, as if measuring the question out in her mind, her coal bangs falling into her face slightly. _Do you still have feelings for that...that man? _The instinctive question seemed a bit out of character for the beautiful, icy heiress, and she couldn't think of a better way to ask without giving away her true feelings?

_But would it really be so bad...?_

Given the level of adoration that Yumi already seemed to have for her more than flawed (but did she ever see it?) onee-sama, Sachiko was fairly certain that she would not be abandoned or shoved away but...somehow, it seemed that a gentle let-down would be even worse. As much as Sachiko hated to lose, she hated pity even more and she could just imagine the look in her precious petite soeur's eyes...

"_I'm sorry, onee-sama, but..."_

Or, what's worse- perhaps her mere loyalty and admiration would drive Yumi to accept Sachiko's feelings and even pretend to reciprocate...no. Sachiko couldn't tell her, not now.

"Onee-sama?"

Breaking out of her daze, Sachiko refocused to see Yumi staring worriedly at her. Being the lady that she was, it didn't take her long to come up with a flawless question in the place of the one that could have ruined everything. "I was just thinking that you look tired, Yumi," she said, smiling warmly at her petite soeur, who blushed crimson as per usual. "Perhaps we should go to bed a bit early tonight? We do have the trip back tomorrow."

"Y-yes, onee-sama!" Yumi said, encouraged by the warmth and, though she had yet to discover it, being Yumi, love in her onee-sama's sapphire eyes. It amazed her how at one moment her onee-sama's eyes could be like ice and the next they would melt into an ocean at the slightest notice...it seemed to escape her notice that the miraculous turnabout was triggered only by Yumi herself. "Ano..."

Sachiko sighed- would she really have to deal with Yumi's reluctance for the second night in a row? The previous night, it had taken her ten minutes to get Yumi to climb into bed with her instead of sleeping on the floor. "Please, Yumi."

Tonight, however, all it took was the slightest note of pleading in Sachiko's beautiful voice and a pained look in her eyes for Yumi to crawl under the warm covers beside her.

When Yumi woke up the next morning, she would instantly regret her immediate decision when she found herself curled up in her onee-sama's warm embrace, decidedly closer than she had been the previous night. She would be too horrified at her mistake and too preoccupied trying to wiggle free to realize that she herself was still on the far left side of the bed where she had been the night before, and being Yumi, didn't even stop to consider just how she had managed to squirm into the heiress's embrace _and _managed to wrap_ Sachiko's _arms around _herself_.

**PGBR**

"Ah, Yamato-chan," Sei said, flinging an arm over the other girl's shoulder, "I must congratulate you on your uncanny ability to push two people _just _far enough to make the impossible completely probable before realizing your fatal mistake." 

Yamato pouted slightly, puffing her cheeks out as Sei laughed at just how Yumi-like the girl could be.  
"And what about you, Sei?" she asked in response. "From what I've heard, breaking them up just doesn't sound very much like you."

Sei's eyes darkened for a moment. "I've tried...believe me, I've worked my ass off trying to make that _stubborn _girl realize that Yumi is worth more than her pride. And I think she knows it, too. But she'll never go against her family- she feels as if she owes them too much."

"Owes them _what_?" Yamato exclaimed, thoroughly peeved. Her baby sister was worth more than a business deal any and every day of the year. "That _attitude _that makes Yumi feel like she's forever doing something wrong? I swear...I meant what I said yesterday, Sei-san. That girl is _insufferable_."

"But Yumi-chan loves her," Sei pointed out unnecessarily.

Yamato hung her head. "I know. But why _her_? Why the one girl who can break her heart?" Yamato felt herself go cold- if Yumi stopped smiling...if her baby sister stopped laughing because of that...that...

"Is this why you're so against them together?" A new voice resounded from the hallway, and Yoshino stepped out, her arms folded across her chest as she glared pointedly at Yamato. "Sachiko-sama's an ice queen- we _all _know that, believe me. She's also selfish and jealous and hysterical at times but have you ever even _looked _at her? I mean _really _looked at her? Have you seen the way she gets whenever someone threatens her position in Yumi's life? I would think you'd have been the first to notice, but apparently not. You're too thick for that kind of observation, aren't you? You're just mmph-!"

"I'm very sorry," Rei apologized as she held her hand over her cousin's mouth. "She tends to get very worked up when it comes to her friends."

Yamato nodded in acceptance and was about to say something before Rei continued:

"But I can't say I disagree with her on this subject. Her methods could use a little work," here she finally let go of a struggling Yoshino, "but do you know Sachiko-san well enough to judge her based on her standing with her family? It's true that she is loyal to them, but can you see the pain in her eyes when she hears Yumi call you '_onee-chan_'? Have you seen how just _looking _at Yumi can knock the fire right out of her system? She's _afraid_, Himeya-san. She's afraid of losing her family because she doesn't hate them for molding her life for her- she's never _known _any different- and she's afraid of losing Yumi, even more so now that you've popped back into her life. Can you honestly _see _how much your little sister means to Sachiko? Because until then, you should hold back on your judgements. I apologize if I came off harshly, and once again for my cousin." She bowed for a moment before her arm was yanked towards the door by the exuberant Yoshino, dragging their luggage behind her.

It took Yamato a few seconds to comprehend the situation that she had just been bombarded with, but the Yellow Roses' words _did _make sense. But still... "This doesn't change..."

"No, it doesn't," Sei agreed. "But it will kill both of them- probably Sachiko more than Yumi- if you completely tear them apart."

"Then maybe just enough so that the boundary is firmly in view," Yamato mused. "Once we get back, I can set Yumi up with Hideo-kun, and then maybe Sachiko-sama will realize." She looked up, startled to see a very lion-esque grin splitting Sei's face.

"Maybe she'll _finally _realize," Sei continued, "that Yumi-chan won't- no, because she probably would, knowing Yumi-chan- that Yumi _can't _be hers forever if she refuses to make a move. That she's going to lose Yumi-chan for the few members of her family that actually value the company over her happiness."

"Where are you going with this?"

"If her feelings for Yumi-chan are actually, truly _threatened _for the first time, it just might shock her out of her...her..."

"Martyrdom?"

Somehow Yoshino had found her way back into the cabin to eavesdrop on the last of their conversation, her eyebrow raised as she filled in the missing word. Shortly after, Rei pulled her back outside with an apologetic look.

"Exactly."

**PGBR**

On the ride home, Sachiko rested her head in Yumi's lap in the nice, stable family car that was so perfectly contrasting to Sei's death trap. Touko sat beside the two, her head lolling against the windowpane after about half an hour of watching the two most important people in her life, silently wishing for them to end up happy because if they didn't, then she would be miserable as well.

In Youko's car, the ex Rosa Chinesis drove in silence while Rei stared out the window and a sleeping Yoshino clung to her arm. Even in sleep, it seemed as if the fiery girl feared that someone would steal her cousin away.

Yamato and Sei seemed to have recovered completely from their serious conversation a while back and were halfway back to Lillian only ten minutes into the trip, arguing over how fast the poor yellow bug could slow down if a police officer were waiting on the edge of the road. In the back seat, Shimako had one arm wrapped around Noriko's waist- the black-haired girl was clinging to her onee-sama tightly enough to cut off all circulation. Sei and Yamato had confronted the two immediately after they'd left the cabin about their relationship- Sei already knew, and it had barely surprised Noriko that Yamato did as well. Shimako silently fumed, put out that Yamato had provoked her on purpose the night before, but quickly melted as Noriko gave her a quick kiss on the cheek before pulling her towards the car with a heightened sense of relief and dread.

None of them were prepared for the emotional roller coaster ride that Sei and Yamato had planned, and the fact that they were doing it for the sake of the two Red Roses would mean very little in the end.

**ANGSSSSSSST O.O Thank you for reading, and I hope you keep reviewing and reading If You Leave Me Behind! Next chapter will hopefully be up shortly!**


	10. Nine: All the Wrong Reasons

**Disclaimer: Nothing's mine but the plot!**

**Summary: Enter Hideo-kun! (I know you're probably wanting a confrontation and it WILL COME but please bear with me!)**

**Chapter Nine**

By the time the getaway had ended it was the weekend, giving all of the members time to rest before school started again. It was funny how a trip that was meant as a vacation could be even more stressful than school itself for the majority of the young Roses.

Yumi was resting on her bed, her head propped up against the soft pillows when the knock came at her door. "Come in!" she called, sitting up straighter.

The door opened to reveal Yuuki on the other side, looking slightly out of breath. "Um...Suguru was..."

Yumi nodded sympathetically- he didn't need to say anymore. For some reason, Sachiko's flamboyant cousin seemed to attach to her poor little brother like an overly affectionate magnet. "But...is that all you came to say?" she asked hesitantly.

"Um...no," he stated, looking slightly uncomfortable. "Yumi...about your relationship with Sachiko-san..."

"Stop calling her that," Yumi cut in, her cheeks puffing out in annoyance.

"Right...about Sachiko-_sama_," he waited for Yumi to cut him off again but his sister said nothing, "do you remember what I said a while back? About what you wanted in a man..."

Yumi fought back a blush to no avail as she recalled her younger brother stopping her, saying that her dream guy sounded a lot like her onee-sama already. "Yes," she said shortly, looking down at her hands in embarrassment. "Why?"

"Um...I was just wondering whether your relationship with her had changed," he said in a rush and continued before his sister could say anything to the contrary, "Because it seems that Yamato-chan has brought someone home with her."

It wouldn't be the first time she had heard those words, but something about the way Yuuki said them made her stand up and follow her brother down the stairs and out the door where Yamato was talking with a boy about Yumi's age with fair hair. Looking up from her conversation, Yamato waved at her sister, causing the boy to turn around, revealing his familiar, handsome features and American face. "Remember him?" Yamato called, pointing down at the boy with her usual lack of Japanese courtesy.

"Yeah," the boy said, shrugging shyly and smiling at Yumi. "Remember me?"

For a moment Yumi was speechless.

"Hideo-kun..."

**PGBR**

At the Rose Mansion...

"Lillian will be combining forces with Hanadera once again for our school festival, and we will be meeting with their student council tomorrow," Rei announced at the end of the meeting. "A representative will be waiting at the gates tomorrow morning to guide us there."

"I hardly think that's necessary," Sachiko stated icily, though her opinion was highly disregarded. It was no secret that the Rosa Chinesis had a deep fear of men, other than Yumi's brother, Yuuki, and that was only for the mere reason that he was the brother of her beloved petite soeur. "I am sure that we could find our way there by ourselves after last year."

"They are just being courteous, Sachiko-san," Shimako said softly. Yamato had stopped coming to the Rose Mansion daily, and that had restored her usual gentle nature as no one was there to threaten her relationship with Noriko. "I think it's a very sweet gesture." At this, the latter huffed and stared down at her tea. It was to be expected that, other than Sachiko, Shimako would be a prime subject of the males' attention, and Noriko wasn't completely sure of her onee-sama's thoughts on men.

"Well...," Sachiko began, realizing that she had been overruled, "who will be the representative?"

Curious gazes were exchanged, save for one member of the Yamayurikai. Yumi was staring intently at her hands, avoiding her onee-sama's gaze as she remembered the conversation from yesterday.

**PGBR**

**Flashback**

"_Hideo...kun..."_

_Yumi had stood, rooted to the spot for a few minutes before breaking into a smile and running (in a very unladylike manner) to hug her best friend. "I'll take that as a yes," Hideo had answered himself as he picked Yumi up and hugged her with all his strength before putting her down. "Miss me much?" He laughed. "Now that I'm back I'll be attending Hanadera...Yamato-chan's told me that it's a brother school to yours. But I've got to say, I'm not so sure about it. Yuuki-kun came back looking a bit off."_

_Yumi laughed humorlessly as a drop of sweat ran down her cheek. "Yes, but that's a problem unique to Yuuki." She would really rather not explain the complete situation. "Actually, we're about to do a combined festival with Hanadera!" she said excitedly as she remembered her onee-sama announcing it._

"_Yeah, Yuuki-kun told me- actually, he's been selected as the representative and asked if I would come along with him," Hideo admitted. "He says they wanted two of us to make sure we escorted the ladies safely, and that I was a much better choice than someone else...though he didn't tell me who."_

I don't blame him_, Yumi thought. After all, it must be an embarrassing situation for her little brother. "Yuuki _is _the president, so I guess it makes sense for him to be chosen. I'm actually part of the Yamayurikai student council at Lillian, so I'll be with there, too."  
_

_Hideo smiled and ruffled her hair. "I guess I'll see you in a few days, Yu-chan," he said as he ran back to his bike. Yumi remembered when they would ride to school together...it seemed like forever ago...forever since before onee-sama. _

_Onee-sama...Yumi bit her lip as Hideo rode off, remembering Sachiko's extreme dislike of men, and hoped that maybe the strong bond between the herself and Hideo would be enough to ease her concern. _

**PGBR**

_I didn't stop to think that it could do just the opposite_, Yumi thought guiltily. Now that she had had time to think, she realized that Sachiko might actually dislike Hideo even more than other men because of his ease when it came to Yumi. If onee-sama had been so disapproving of Sei's antics, surely she would think even less of Hideo for the same thing. Of course, it hardly crossed her innocent mind that Sachiko's reactions to Sei's teasing might have come from something more than just disapproval.

"Yumi?"

Yumi jerked to attention, having spaced out for the past few minutes to find Sachiko staring disapprovingly down at her. She cringed. "Sorry, onee-sama."

Sachiko sighed, but she could never stay mad at Yumi for long. "Just don't let it happen again." To be honest, she wasn't so much annoyed with Yumi as she was worried for her. It was true that Yumi spaced out quite often, but the nervousness was very out of place. _Is she really so afraid of me? _The thought pained her deeply.

Nevertheless she continued with the announcement she had been in the middle of and promised herself that she would confront Yumi after the meeting. However, other business prevailed and her promise was swiftly forgotten until later that night, when it was much too late to call.


	11. Ten: The Actress

**Disclaimer: Nothing's mine but the plot! Enjoy and Review, por favor!**

**A/N: Hopefully this chapter will be a little more exciting than the previous one! Please keep reading and leaving reviews! =D**

**Chapter Ten**

Yumi arrived to Lillian an hour early as planned, out of breath from the run to make it there on time with the rest of the Yamayurikai. Yuuki would arrive a little bit after her because he had needed to prepare a few things for the meeting, and Hideo was coming with him.

"Good morning, Yumi."

Yumi turned and smiled up at her onee-sama, who was looking down at her with a look that said it all, if only she wasn't too blind to see it. "Good morning, onee-sama," she replied brightly.

Sachiko sighed as she took in Yumi's somewhat ruffled appearance, though she had gotten used to it by now and took a step forward, her lips just a breath from Yumi's hair as she straightened out her petite soeur's ribbon. She suppressed the overwhelming urge to pull Yumi impossibly closer and allow their lips to meet, though the fact that Yumi had halted all breathing didn't do much to help the situation.

From a few meters away, Yoshino sulked- why didn't she and Rei ever have unbearably sweet, flower-explosion moments? Beside her, Rei was completely oblivious to her cousin's less-than-innocent thoughts as she stared at the gates, waiting for their escort to arrive.

Shimako and Noriko were sitting on a bench close by the statue of Maria-sama, Noriko resting her head against Shimako's shoulder. She never had been a morning person, and on top of that, she had been up until well after midnight worrying about her beautiful onee-sama around all of those men. It wasn't as if she didn't _trust _Shimako- she did, with her life, even- but they hadn't exactly specified their relationship at this point and being surrounded by the handsome students of Hanadera was certainly not going to speed matters along.

Shimako was pleasantly oblivious to the inner turmoil that her petite soeur was facing as she ran her fingers absentmindedly through Noriko's hair, basking in the sweet sensation of her beloved sleeping against her. It had been agreed that only true members of the Yamayurikai could attend the meeting, so the threat of Yamato was safely tucked away for the time being.

"Good day. We are here to escort you to our school and ensure that you are all comfortable," Yuuki's voice rang from the gate, and Yumi felt her onee-sama tense beside her. Sachiko wasn't afraid of Yuuki, but she hadn't failed to notice the plural pronoun. "I am the student council president, Fukuzawa Yuuki, and this is your other escort, Kobayashi Hideo. We are pleased to make your acquaintance."

There was silence for a moment- Yamato's comment about Yumi's 'past love' had been all but forgotten and there was no doubt in anyone's mind that this was the very same boy. However, appearances must be kept, and Shimako took the lead once again. "Thank you for escorting us," she replied graciously, smiling at the two boys. Yuuki blushed but took a wary step back as he was met with Noriko's glare, and Hideo didn't seem to have heard Shimako's words.

"Hey, Yu-chan," he said as he walked over to Yumi and gathered her into a tight embrace. "It's been _forever_!"

Against her better judgment and instinct as Sachiko had become rigid at her side from the moment Hideo had been introduced, Yumi giggled. "It's been two days, Hideo-kun."

"Feels like forever," he replied lowly- he had missed his best friend dearly during his time in America, and had come to realize that his feelings were no longer platonic with a little help from everyone's favorite matchmaker.

Sachiko's eyes narrowed dangerously at the exchange. She had promised herself that she would not do this, even if he _did _return- promised herself that if he made Yumi happy then she would be happy for that reason alone. But it wasn't enough, and she had known that from the beginning. It _should _be enough to see her adorable petite soeur happy, even if it was with another, but it wasn't. It should be _her _standing there- _her _arms around _her _Yumi. Unable to keep quiet for any longer, she broke the silence between the two. "I believe your duty is to escort us to your school," she said icily in the tone she reserved for men and anyone who dared to be more intimate with Yumi than she herself was. "Not to flirt with my petite soeur."

Hideo took a step back, his eyes wide with shock. He knew of the soeur system, but was not aware of just how deep the affection seemed to run. Then he glanced over at Rei and Yoshino who were arguing over a few of Rei's over-populous fangirls, to Noriko and Shimako, who were seated close together on the bench. "Sorry," he murmured, though he was more afraid than offended.

"We should get ready to go now," Yuuki said, rescuing the situation. "If you'll please follow me..."

Tuning out of her brother's speech, Yumi glanced up at her onee-sama, whose sapphire eyes had frozen over as per usual, but today it seemed like there was something more behind the ice. Sachiko didn't return her petite soeur's gaze- if she did, she knew that her mask would crumble as it always did when she was faced with those loving, mocha eyes that never seemed to run out of admiration for her onee-sama. She knew she was being selfish, but she just couldn't bear the thought of Yumi being stolen from right under her nose. But she also knew that in the end, it was what Yumi wanted- what made Yumi happy that would determine her own happiness. If Yumi really did want Hideo-kun, then Sachiko would never be able to bring herself to keep them apart.

Yumi looked down to her feet when Sachiko avoided her gaze, her emotions dancing across her face as usual. She knew it was stupid, but she couldn't help it that she wore her heart on her sleeve, especially when it came to her beautiful, sapphire-eyed onee-sama. When Sachiko was hurting, so was Yumi, especially since she was one of the only ones who could tell when she was. To a stranger, happiness and sadness was the same for Sachiko, but to Yumi, those beautiful eyes said it all: narrowing when she was angry, freezing over so as to protect her from being hurt, and when she was happy...the pure love and kindness in her eyes made Yumi feel as though she was falling in love over and over again.

So really, Hideo stood no chance against Rosa Chinesis- anyone could see that, with the way Yumi expressed her emotions so boldly. Anyone, that is, except for the one who needed to- the heiress who had grown up locking her emotions away and therefore was at a loss when it came to reading the emotions of others. Sure, she could understand simple emotions, like when Yumi was happy or sad, but she had problems with everything in between.

**PGBR**

"Welcome to Hanadera," Yuuki and Hideo said in unison as the Yamayurikai entered the council room. Just as before, the entire room was full of boys, including Alice, the girl in a boy's body. Sachiko visibly cringed, but kept her posture as she took a seat across from the Hanadera student council, pulling Yumi down beside her. She knew that there was no hope for her if Yumi loved Hideo, but she needed her petite soeur by her side as she faced her fear in mass to prevent another embarrassing scene.

Yumi's eyes widened at Sachiko's sudden strength as she felt herself being forced into the chair beside her, but scooted a little closer to her onee-sama, recognizing the gesture. Sachiko took Yumi's hand tightly in her own beneath the table, mirroring Noriko's actions as the many male eyes fell upon Shimako as she had predicted.

"We look forward to working with you on this project," Yuuki stated as he took his seat. "We were thinking of a traditional festival, and perhaps a play towards the end. What were your ideas?"

Noticing Sachiko's distress and Shimako's bashful, apologetic face as Noriko clung to her, Rei took charge. "Actually, we were thinking along the same lines. Cinderella has been a classic, but perhaps a different story would be a nice change."

After about half an hour, the two councils made a decision, choosing Sleeping Beauty, another fairytale that most people knew of and could incorporate both schools equally. After much strategizing, Yumi was chosen as the princess over Shimako, who had been the other major choice as Sachiko had played the lead role in Cinderella and had a major aversion to men. The main objection had come, of course, from Noriko, who had pointed out that Shimako was very soft-spoken, whereas Yumi was louder, so naturally, she should be the choice. Shimako had kept quiet, gazing down at her petite soeur with a quiet smile, well aware that Noriko was completely unconcerned with the success of the play.

Yumi objected to the choice at first, given that she wasn't a good actress at all, but an encouraging smile from Sachiko was all she needed to hang her head and reluctantly agree.

Yuuki was the original choice for the prince, but after Yumi had been chosen, nobody really wanted to put the siblings in such an awkward situation. Sachiko was fine with the original decision, seeing as there was absolutely no possibility of romance between the two, but of course she didn't mention this aloud and watched tensely as the Hanadera boys conversed amongst themselves.

"We've decided that Hideo-kun will play the prince," Yuuki finally said, winking imperceptibly at Yumi. "Yumi-chan will be much more comfortable with the romantic scenes and that way, it isn't as though she'll have to play opposite a total stranger. Is that alright with the Yamayurikai?"

Having stifled a protest, Sachiko sat up straighter in her seat, her arms now folded across her chest in her usual symbol of displeasure. No one else seemed to have any problems with the casting, unfortunately, so the raven-haired beauty's disapproval went largely unnoticed. Yumi glanced up at her onee-sama, wondering if she had indeed felt the icy barriers fall back into place, but quickly dispelled the thought. _After all, it's not as though onee-sama has to work with Hideo-kun._

Sachiko was silent for the rest of the time at Hanadera as well as the trip back- by the time they arrived at Lillian, not one member of the Yamayurikai had not noticed her iciness, and everyone but Yumi had quickly traced the reason why back to the casting of the play. For her part, Yumi simply bit her lip, wondering what she had done to anger her onee-sama. When she finally got up the courage to ask, Sachiko merely shook her head and told her she had done nothing wrong, that she was just thinking about some things.

And Yumi felt for the rosary around her neck, misinterpreting the sadness in Sachiko's eyes for regret while the rest of the Yamayurikai wondered why they hadn't given Sachiko the main part after all, as the only thing Rosa Chinesis ever did anymore was act.

And why, when all she had to do was change the script?


	12. Eleven: I've Come Too Far To Let This Go

**Disclaimer: Nothing's mine but the plot! Enjoy and Review, por favor!**

**Chapter Eleven**

After everyone had memorized their lines, the Yamayurikai and Hanadera's student council was ready to join forces in rehearsal.

Noriko, Yoshino, and Shimako were playing the three fairies and Sachiko played the role of Maleficent. The two kings were played by Yuuki and another boy from Hanadera.

Yumi and Hideo were rehearsing their lines together, though it wasn't exactly beneficial, as Hideo was staring at Yumi the entire time and Yumi, in return, had her gaze locked on her beautiful onee-sama. Sachiko looked up from her lines to meet Yumi's gaze, and the younger girl blushed, looking down at her script and causing the hint of a smile to play at the corner her raven-haired onee-sama's lips.

"...mi-chan?"

"Yu-chan!"

"Huh!" Yumi was jerked unceremoniously out of her memorization as Hideo flapped his script in front of her face.

"Your line, Yu-chan," Hideo said, laughing at Yumi's characteristic blush, still oblivious to the depth of his friend's feelings for her onee-sama. Yumi stuck her tongue out at him before continuing.

Across the room, Sachiko revealed herself as the perfect choice for the lovely and jealous villainess, though perhaps not for the right reasons as she seethed that her petite soeur's attention had been claimed by another. It had never been an issue before- usually, no one could tear Yumi's attention away from Sachiko, but the way this...this _boy _had done that so effortlessly made it impossible for Sachiko to concentrate on her lines.

**PGBR**

"I think that's enough practice for today," Rei, who was acting as director, said to sighs of intense relief. "We'll meet up tomorrow at the same place, so go home and get some rest."

"Um, Yumi-chan?"

Yumi turned to find Hideo rooted to the spot, fidgeting slightly. "Yes, Hideo-kun?"

"I was wondering if I could speak to you for just a minute," he asked nervously. "In private," he added as Sachiko conveniently appeared at Yumi's side, staring at Hideo icily.

"Ano...of course," Yumi replied, confused. "I'll see you tomorrow, onee-sama," she said apologetically to Sachiko, who offered her a weak smile just as she turned back, just barely erasing the challenge from her features before Yumi could see.

**PGBR**

"So...," Hideo began, running a hand through his messy hair. "I've been thinking...well...I really missed you while I was in America, and I've been talking to Yamato-chan..."

"Yes...?" Yumi prodded when he stopped for a second.

"And...I think I...well, I think I like you," Hideo said nervously. "As in more than just friends, you know?"

Yumi bit her lip. "I really like you, Hideo-kun, but..."

Hideo nodded, recognizing defeat. "I understand, Yu-chan," he replied, but she held up a hand to finish.

"And I used to like you like that because you're a great guy- you're the sweetest guy I know, Hideo-kun, and it's not because we've been apart so long," she began, "or maybe it is partially, but mainly it's because...I...I love someone else."

Hideo shifted his gaze down to the ground for a moment before looking back up at Yumi with a weak smile. "It's her, isn't it?" he asked frankly, causing Yumi's eyes to widen.

"Who are you-"

"Yu-chan." He was looking at her with a 'you're not fooling anyone' grimace. "Anyone with eyes can see how much you love her- how much she loves _you_. It's not like I'm really surprised, but I'd hate myself forever if I didn't at least try."

"How much she- what do you mean? Onee-sama doesn't love me in that way," Yumi replied quietly, already having given up on defending _herself_. If it was transparent enough for even Hideo to see it right off the bat, what was the point?

"And here I thought _you _were the perceptive one," Hideo replied with a trace of his old humor. "I've been fearing for my life since the second she looked at me, Yu-chan. I've never _seen _anyone so obviously in love in my entire life. I won't pretend to know your exact situation, and it's obvious that Ogasawara-sama isn't exactly forward with her emotions, but she's absolute _crap_ at hiding her jealousy. One of the worst, if you must know the-"

"Hideo-kun!"

Hideo cringed at Yumi's affronted expression. "Sorry, Yu-chan, I didn't mean to be rude but there's really no other way to put it," he said frankly. "She thinks she's hiding behind some kind of mask that no one can see her true feelings through, but when it comes to you...when she looks at you, it's the weirdest thing. She's so cold to me and the rest of the student council, but one _look _at you absolutely melts her. How can you not see that?"

Yumi blushed crimson at Hideo's observations, even if they were too far-fetched to believe. She couldn't _really _be as blind as he said. "Onee-sama doesn't like men," she murmured as an excuse. What was going through Hideo's mind? He was more than a stranger to onee-sama and the rest of the Yamayurikai and yet he claimed these things were so obvious that even he could see them. "How can you say you know so much about onee-sama when even I apparently don't see it."

Rolling his eyes, Hideo decided that he would have to spell it out for her. "It's not like it's a secret, Yu-chan. I can honestly tell you that every member of the Yamayurikai can see it and it's not as it she tries to hide the fact that you're hers and no one else's around our student council."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Hideo groaned, throwing his hands in the air. "Fine, Yumi. If you don't want to see what's _right in front of you_, then don't," he said in exasperation before he calmed slightly and drew her into a hug. "I love you, Yu-chan- even if you don't return my feelings, I want you to be happy and you won't be until you realize what everyone but you seems to know."

With that, he walked away, leaving Yumi staring after him.

**PGBR**

"Onee-chaaaan!" Yumi cried as soon as she got home. She stomped up the stairs and shoved Yamato's door open so hard that it slammed against the wall. Yamato was unfazed as she gazed up at Yumi over the top of her book. "Did you tell Hideo-kun about my feelings for onee-sama?"

"I haven't told anyone, believe it or not," an irritated Yamato replied coldly. She didn't appreciate her little sister's lack of trust.

"Then why did he tell me that it was so obvious that Sachiko and I were in love- that I was the only one who couldn't see?" Yumi asked desperately.

Yamato sighed and patted her bed, waiting for Yumi to sit down before replying. "Because, my dear little sister...it is and you are."

"Onee-chan!"

"Well, except for Sachiko-sama, I guess...," Yamato continued, deep in thought and ignoring her sister's protests. "Look, Yumi- it really is the most obvious thing. Haven't you noticed the way she gets whenever someone threatens to take you away from her? I mean, she can't _stand _me, and she obviously has a problem with Sei-sama as well. It's so obvious that she loves you, Yumi."

"If it's so obvious then why hasn't she told me?" Yumi demanded heatedly, pouting. "Because I'm obviously no good at hiding my feelings either."

Sighing heavily, Yamato ruffled her half-sister's hair. "Because she's _afraid_, love. She's afraid of losing you to someone else and she's afraid of losing you if she tries to _keep _from losing you to someone else! It's an impossible situation and she's trying to balance it but it just won't be balanced. Either way, she thinks she's going to lose you, Yumi-chan. If you want that to change, you're going to have to prove to her that she won't."

"How do I do that? She's already the only thing on my mind," Yumi confessed, blushing to the roots of her hair. _And my heart._

Yamato grinned widely and leaned over, whispering into Yumi's ear. When she pulled back, her little sister was staring at her as if she'd grown an extra head.

"Won't that do the opposite?"

"Au contrere, mi amor," Yamato said wisely, winking at her little sister. "To prove to her that she won't lose you, first we must lead her to believe that she has." They needed a reaction from the temperamental heiress, the one that she'd been denying Yamato from the start- the one that she was _dying _to give- and Yamato would be damned if she was going to give up _now_.


	13. Twelve: Promise Me Forever

**Disclaimer: Nothing's mine but the plot!**

**A/N: This chapter focuses mainly on the side relationships (Shimako/Noriko, Rei/Yoshino) because the next chapter will be ALL Sachiko/Yumi and the last chapter {except maybe an epilogue, depending})**

**Chapter Twelve**

The day before the festival, both the Yamayurikai and the Hanadera student council were desperately trying to get every last line memorized and every scene perfected.

Noriko was practicing her lines with Yoshino while Shimako practiced her minor lines with Yuuki, the only ones she hadn't managed to memorize. However, it was pointless, seeing as Noriko couldn't tear her eyes away from her onee-sama and Yumi's older brother who seemed to be touching Shimako a bit more than the script called for. Eventually, she and Yoshino simply gave up once the latter spotted a group of fangirls clustered around Rei and stormed over to break up the mob.

Slowly, Noriko approached Shimako and Yuuki, who seemed to be enjoying their rehearsal a lot more than the two en boutons had been and slipped her arm through her onee-sama's on the pretense of watching them rehearse. Unfortunately, it was difficult for Shimako to concentrate on her own lines with Noriko so close, so she smiled to Yuuki in apology as she allowed Noriko to pull her out of the gymnasium for a short break.

**PGBR**

"Noriko."

Her petite soeur ignored her as she led them across Lillian, towards the ginkgo trees, and Shimako finally had to stop walking completely for Noriko to turn around and face her.

"Noriko," she began softly, stepping forward and brushing Noriko's cheek with a soft, cool hand. "You haven't been acting like yourself recently..."

"I wonder why." Noriko's reply was brief and unusually bitter, especially considering that it was directed to her onee-sama. "I mean, it can't have _anything _to do with the fact that he's practically _infatuated _with you and you don't feel the need to inform him that you're not interested," she stated with heavy sarcasm. "Unless...unless you _are_...and in that case-" She was silenced by Shimako's finger on her lips just as a single tear was running down her cheek.

"Don't cry," she murmured as she kissed the tear away before pulling back and gazing at her petite soeur with a weak smile. "It makes _me _want to cry."

"Well what I am 'sposed to do?" Noriko cried, her voice almost a yell as she pulled away from her painfully silent onee-sama. "You never made things clear so how am I supposed to know if you want me or not?"

Shimako grimaced at the pain that she had caused her beloved petite soeur for a moment before pulling the distressed girl into her arms and resting her chin on Noriko's shoulder as she felt the quiet sobs wrack her body. "Well then let me make them clear now," she said as she ran her fingers up and down Noriko's heaving back. "I love you, and only you, and I'll never love anyone _but _you, so will you please be my girlfriend?"

Noriko pulled away, smiling through the tears as she watched her onee-sama duck down to check her expression and nodded slowly.

"Good," Shimako said and left her words at that as she felt Noriko wrap her arms around her shoulders.

Their lips met beneath the ginkgo trees, salty from their tears and yet sweet with the feelings that had finally been revealed.

And when the kiss broke, they stayed intertwined and Shimako retrieved Noriko's still shaking hand and pressed a slow, gentle kiss to each of her fingers as a silent promise of her love.

**PGBR**

"Rei-chan!"

Rei looked up and a bead of sweat dropped down her cheek as she saw her small, feminine-looking cousin storming towards the sea of girls.

"Move it! Back _off_!"

"Yoshino-chan...," Rei groaned as Yoshino dragged her off into a corner of the gym. She loved her cousin more than anything- more than she wanted to- but Yoshino had a mean jealous streak that only seemed to strengthen with age.

"Don't 'Yoshino-chan' me!" the girl with the braided hair retorted. "You were flirting with them!" Her finger was pointed directly into Rei's face, who gently eased her arm down.

"I wasn't flirting with them," she replied quietly, looking down at her cousin's eyes. Whenever Yoshino got like this, all anyone else saw was a girl who was overly possessive of her onee-sama. Rei saw the hurt behind the anger- no matter how unlikely it was that Rei actually felt anything for _any _of the fangirls, Yoshino couldn't help but to be jealous. It was just her nature.

"Yeah, well you weren't telling them to back off, either," Yoshino muttered. "I thought the whole keeping up appearances gimmick was Sachiko-sama's thing."

"Yoshino-chan..."

"Kiss me."

"What?"

Yoshino groaned in aggravation. "If you don't feel anything for anyone else, kiss me," she demanded, her chin tilted up in defiance.

Rei sighed. "Yoshino, we're...we're cousins," she said sadly, knowing that Yoshino would take her words as proof that she did love someone else.

"So are Sachiko-sama and that switch-hitter Kashiwagi," Yoshino shot back. "And they're going to get _married_."

_Married_... The thought of being married to Yoshino was welcoming to Rei as she imagined being to wake up next to her beloved cousin every day, but she forced herself to focus. "Yoshino..."

It wasn't her fault, it really wasn't- it's just that when Yoshino's lower lip started to tremble, all bets were off. Yoshino never cried, and maybe that was why Rei couldn't bear to see it when she did. So she did the easiest thing in the world and closed the gap between those trembling lips and her own. And through the kiss, she felt Yoshino smile, and the guilt simply disappeared to leave room for the sensation of the soft, fervent lips against her own. "I'm the only one...," Yoshino murmured into Rei's ear after they broke apart, their lips remaining millimeters away. Though it wasn't phrased as a question, Rei could sense Yoshino's hesitation.

"Forever."


	14. Thirteen: A Melting Mask

**Disclaimer: Nothing's mine but the plot!**

**A/N: Possibly the last chapter unless I decide to do an epilogue! Please comment with your opinion!**

**Chapter Thirteen**

On the day of the festival, it was time for Yamato to put her final plan into action, but she couldn't do it by herself, so she had called in some extra help from above.

"Hey, Yamato-chan!" The voice of the American faced blonde was unmistakable, and Yamato whirled around, pulling her into a dark corner of the school.

"Woah, I like you, but I don't _like _you, if you know what I-"

Sei's Cheshire Cat grin lit up the dark as Yamato whispered the master plan into the ex Rosa Gigantea's ear. "You couldn't have picked a better day, my criminal friend," she drawled, her eyes flitting back out to the festival. "Dearest Sa-chan's in a bit of a mood and her mother will be here to witness the whole shebang."

**PGBR**

It was true that Sachiko wasn't having the best day- that much was certain when she stalked backstage ten minutes late and began yanking on her costume with very little result. Eventually, a confused and worried Yumi was recruited to help when Sachiko began to enter 'hysterical mode'. Apparently, even in sickness Yumi had the unnatural ability to calm her onee-sama completely.

"Are you okay, onee-sama?" she asked in a concerned voice as she helped Sachiko into her costume, blushing the entire time and trying not to look at the vast expanse of porcelain skin before her. She zipped up the back of the costume carefully so as not to get any of Sachiko's soft, shining obsidian strands caught in it.

Sachiko sighed as she turned around to face her petite soeur, running her hands up and down Yumi's arms gently before mustering up an unconvincing smile. "I'm fine, Yumi," she said in her beautiful voice, but Yumi wasn't convinced. She knew better than to argue the point, however, remembering the last time she had tried to do so. She also had a faint idea of what had caused Sachiko to rush in with such a bad mood, and her eyes narrowed as she spotted Kashiwagi Suguru in the audience.

Honestly, she should have known he would be here- if not for Sachiko, then definitely for Yuuki, but the thought had simply slipped her mind during the strenuous rehearsals.

"Yu-chan?"

Yumi turned to see Hideo jogging up to her, looking quite handsome in his royal prince's costume. "What is it?" she asked, unaware of Sachiko's icy glare. Hideo, on the other hand, was facing Sachiko, and therefore felt the full force- which was just as well, as he couldn't imagine why it would be aimed at Yumi.

"It's curtain call in five," he said, ducking his head to avoid the sapphire gaze, which seemed even more malicious than usual. "I just wanted to make sure you were ready."

"We are."

Sachiko's cool voice came from directly behind Yumi, who jumped slightly as the heiress wrapped her arms around her petite soeur's slender waist. She was wearing a long, purple and black dress and a multitude of jewelery that brought out her striking beauty. Yumi blushed in her arms- didn't Sachiko realize how beautiful she was?

Hideo nodded, standing there awkwardly for a moment before pulling Yumi to him, desire burning in his eyes. She wouldn't know until later just how long it got him to get that exact emotion down. "Please, Yumi, just give me one more chance," he pleaded, his voice breaking. Behind Yumi, Sachiko's eyes widened in shock at having her love ripped from her arms. "You loved me before, you can do it again- if there's anything you don't like about me-"

And then he was stumbling back, clutching his burning cheek, bent over and staring up at a _very _pissed heiress. "Stay. Away. From. Yumi," she stated slowly, as if she were speaking to a kindergartener. "I don't know what happened between the two of you but it will _not happen again_."

Hideo swallowed- suddenly he wished he had made Yamato pay him. At least then his hospital bill would be covered after the next words that he had been instructed to say. "And why not?" he asked, hoping that his voice wasn't shaking as much as his legs, "Because as far as I can see, she doesn't belong to anyone else."

That did it for Sachiko- after two years, the push that she needed came from Yumi's childhood friend, the boy who had first taught Yumi what it felt like to love and the same boy who would teach the heiress what it felt like to lose. By this time, her eyes had narrowed to sapphire slits and her fists were clenched at her side. She was _tired _sharing and tired of losing _everything_ that mattered. "She _belongs _to _me._" The second word came out as a growl as Sachiko pulled Yumi back into her arms and away from the poor boy who acted a villain to save his only love- his love, who had become another's princess.

Shocked at the scene before her, Yumi was rendered speechless as she felt her onee-sama's arms tighten possessively around her waist. Slowly, Hideo backed away, his arms up in mock defeat before he turned and ran towards the restroom.

**PGBR**

"Stage fright?"

Yamato's teasing voice rang out from the hallway, and Hideo stopped short, trembling and pointing a finger at Yumi's half sister, whose leg was propped lazily against the wall. "You...," he began, "you are _dead _to me." With those words, he darted into the bathroom, his hand over his mouth.

Sei's laugh could be heard from down the hallway as she walked towards the auditorium, her arm around Youko's waist. The latter was chastising Sei in mock annoyance, trying to pull away, but Sei only tightened her grip as they reached Yamato. "How'd it go?"

"As planned, from the green on his face," the brunette replied, wrinkling her nose. "The rest is up to Sachiko-sama."

**PGBR**

"O-onee-sama?"

Yumi stared up at Sachiko, who had grabbed onto Yumi's wrist as her petite soeur had made to follow after the poor, selfless Hideo. However, her childhood friend was completely forgotten as Yumi saw the first tear slip from her onee-sama's sapphire eyes. She was crying silently, her bangs falling over her face as if to protect her from view as she held onto Yumi's lower back, holding the girl hostage against her front.

Yumi bit her lip, completely lost before she did the only thing she could and wrapped her arms tightly around Sachiko's waist, burying her face in her shoulder.

"Don't..." The word was strangled with tears as Sachiko pushed Yumi away gently. Yumi stared up at her onee-sama, confused until the heiress spoke again. "Is he really so important to you?"

Yumi shook her head with conviction as she reached up and wiped away Sachiko's tears with her thumb. "I love you, onee-sama."

"Don't say that," Sachiko replied coldly, turning away and folding her arms over her chest. "Don't take pity on me. If you don't feel the same then don't pretend that you do for my sake."

"Feel...feel the same about what?" Yumi asked, ignoring Hideo's valiant reentry and Rei's cry that they had one minute to show time.

"Can't you see it, Yumi?" Sachiko's voice had strengthened, and she was gazing down into Yumi's eyes with a sadness that didn't match her tone. "How much I need you? How much..." She brushed a stray brown lock out of Yumi's eyes. "How much I love you?"

And then she closed the distance between them, moving (impossibly) closer and finally claiming Yumi's sweet lips in her own, her arms wrapped gently around Yumi's waist as she cherished the taste of the girl she had nearly lost.

Yumi felt the very fibers of her being melting away as the raven-haired beauty massaged her tongue firmly with her own, her cool hands moving from Yumi's waist to cup her face. She let herself sink completely into Sachiko's embrace as she basked in the love that she had longed for for so long.

And then it was over, and Sachiko was pulling back, resting her forehead against Yumi's, her sapphire eyes fixed on her petite soeur like there was nothing else in the entire world. Nothing but the two of them and the love that had _finally_ been revealed.

Yamato watched from a corner of the back room, her eyes full of an indescribable emotion as she watched her sister...her _baby _pull Sachiko's head down gently, claiming her attention for herself once again. She watched as Yumi rested her arms over the heiress's shoulders and she watched as Sachiko smiled brilliantly as she once again captured the lips of the girl who had melted her heart.

And something broke inside her chest as she watched the way her sister allowed Sachiko to gather her in her arms- the way she leaned so completely on the heiress who had so nearly broken her heart. But Yamato swallowed and allowed herself to slip out of the auditorium. She had known all along that it would be hard to let her baby sister go- to watch Yumi give her heart so freely to the one who could break it.

But she strolled out into the hallway and stood outside the auditorium doors to wait for Kashiwagi Suguru, because she would do everything she could to ensure that it didn't happen.

For the rest, she placed her trust in the beautiful heiress who had tried to fool herself and the world with a heart made of ice.


	15. Fourteen: Kisses and Confrontations

**OMG an update! I am SO sorry it took so long! BTW, this fic is nowhere near finished; thanks to some of my reviewers, I noticed that I have some loose ends to tie up! So from now on, chapters will probably focus more on certain pairs than the whole Yamayuri Council. Reviews=Love and Updates! **

**In this chapter: Shimako and Noriko semi-fluff, plus that whole thing with Kashiwagi and Yamato- talk about explosive duos.**

**A/N: Sorry about the overall lack of Yellow Rose action so far; Yoshino and Rei have never really been my favorites as far as pairings go because I tend to prefer drama and major romance to something that's already quite established. But I will add more, I promise!**

**Disclaimer: Nothing's mine but the plot!**

**Chapter Fourteen**

After the play, Shimako met up with Noriko beneath the ginkgo trees.

"You were wonderful," she said softly, stepping towards her petite soeur and planting a sweet kiss on her forehead.

"So were you, Shimako-san," Noriko replied, feeling uncharacteristically shy beneath her onee-sama's unusually intense gaze. "Although I think Yuuki-kun might have been a little more forward than necessary for his part...maybe I'll have a talk with Yumi-san and get him to back off..." By this time, the black-haired girl was mumbling to herself, staring down at the ground as she thought out her master plan.

"Noriko," Shimako murmured in her soft, calm voice, taking Noriko's chin in her hand and making the younger girl look in her eyes. "I love you." She ducked forward and pressed a brief kiss to Noriko's lips, intending it to be only for a second.

But something came alive inside of Noriko, hearing her onee-sama say those words so definitively and without hesitation. Raising her arms, she slipped them around Shimako's neck and leaned into her onee-sama, causing Shimako to stumble back into a tree as Noriko revived the kiss with a passion.

Shimako was frozen in place for only a moment before she came to her senses and wrapped on arm around her petite soeur's waist, her opposite hand slipping behind Noriko's hair to hold the back of her neck, pulling her closer. She pressed a long kiss to Noriko's lips before pulling away for just a moment and recapturing them over and over again.

The kiss only ended when Shimako broke away from Noriko's lips to place a firm kiss to the hollow of her neck. Noriko's arms wrapped around her shoulders lazily, but still holding her onee-sama in place as she continued her path up the column of her neck. When she reached her jawline, Shimako placed a lingering kiss to the area before straightening slowly, her forehead pressed to her petite soeur's. "We should get back," she mumbled, leaning against the tree, allowing Noriko to remain pressed against her. "They'll wonder if we've been kidnapped."

"I'm pretty sure Yamato-_sama _will be more than happy to fill them in on her side of the story," Noriko replied, rolling her eyes. She didn't miss the way Shimako tensed slightly beneath her and couldn't help but smile, just a little bit; her onee-sama was so naturally calm and composed that it was a rare sight to see her jealous or possessive over _anything_, let alone _Noriko_. She knew she owed Yamato more than she could ever repay her.

"Yamato-san needs to remember her place sometimes," Shimako said under her breath, and Noriko giggled; it wasn't like her onee-sama to make underhanded remarks, even when they weren't really insulting at all.

Noriko thought about everything that had transpired since Yamato appeared; Sachiko's lessened self control, Yoshino's admittedly unchanged possessive determination...and she couldn't forget where she was standing right now, in her onee-sama's arms as Shimako pressed a kiss to her forehead.

"I don't think she's ever forgotten it."

**PGBR**

Back in front of the main building, Yamato was leaning against a brick wall, bracing herself with one foot pressed to the side of the building. Once she spotted her target, she kicked away from the wall and sauntered over, darting in and out of the thinning crowd.

"Kashiwagi Suguru, right?" she asked a tall young man who bore a remarkable resemblance to the girl who'd stolen her younger sister's heart.

"And to whom do I owe this pleasure?" Suguru asked, smirking mildly. "You're one of Sacchan's friends, I assume."

Yamato made a slight, uncomfortable face. "Friends, acquaintances...annoyances, what's the difference? I'm Himeya Yamato, Fukuzawa Yumi-chan's half sister," she said, not bothering to take Suguru's outstretched hand. "I only wanted to tell you that if you _or _that stuck up, frostbitten cousin of yours do _anything_ to hurt my baby sister, not even all of Daddy's precious riches will be able to reconstruct your internal anatomy."

Suguru raised his eyebrows, amused. "I assure you, I have no intention of hurting our darling Yumi-chan, nor does Sacchan. She cares for her quite a bit."

"Quite," Yamato deadpanned. "But I don't think that'll stop her from hurting Yumi- you're tied down by your family, right?"

He sighed. "Unfortunately, there _is_ a business deal," he agreed. "But Yumi-chan is well aware of it. It's not anything new; she knows that Sachiko's first duty is to her family. _Our _family. Sacchan is my cousin; I _want _her to be happy, but there's nothing I can do about the arrangement."

Yamato scoffed. "Cousins don't kiss cousins," she retorted scathingly. "Of all the things you've got going on, family's not one of them."

Suguru raised an eyebrow. "You wanted to talk to me, Himeya-san?"

"Yes," Yamato said, sighing. "I want to work out a deal, or at least help you out of this situation since I've obviously failed miserably at keeping those two apart. After the time I've spent around them, I don't think a_ rhinoceros_ could."

"A rhinoceros doesn't have Sacchan's temper," Suguru commented lightly, with a twinkle in his eye. She didn't like him, but Yamato decided he wasn't a bad person, overall. "I'll help you, but I can't guarantee that we'll be able to break free of this arrangement."

Yamato nodded slowly and was about to say something else when she spotted Sachiko and Yumi over Suguru's shoulder. The handsome young man followed her gaze to where it rested on his cousin and her petite soeur; Yumi was wearing Sachiko's white, fur-rimmed jacket in the icy winter air while Sachiko was greeting relations rather half-heartedly, her arm never leaving Yumi's shoulders.

Suguru smiled. "You've already finished half your job, Himeya-san," he stated after a moment, glancing down at Yamato when she raised her head in acknowledgement. "You melted the ice queen."

Yamato shrugged. "I was going to make her do it in front of her mother so she couldn't deny it to anyone anymore," she said, "but I decided I should probably see if there's a better way, first." Yamato might have been Satou Sei's soul mate, but sometimes she thought it was better to think things through before jumping the gun. Figuring out Sachiko and Yumi's problem could wait for a little longer if it meant Yumi could be happier in the long run.


End file.
